“Outrageous Discrimination”: 14-Year-Old Girls Denied Entry to Jordan River Park Over “Immodest” Clothing

Imagine an isolated spot on the banks of the Jordan River. From all sides, the Golan Heights, Mount Hermon, and the Naftali Mountains are visible. The babbling water and the silence promise a few hours of escape from the routine. At the Indi Park site, visitors are invited to “breathe deeply, relax, and surrender to the experience,” promising a full day of kayaking, SUP, a climbing wall, and camping.

This is exactly what two 14-year-old girls were looking for yesterday, who went out with the grandmother of one of them for a fun day on the Jordan. They packed swimsuits, wore shorts, and drove north. But the trip ended before it even began.

“A serious warning against a northern business that humiliated and excluded my daughter and her friend, 14-year-old girls, against a background of religious coercion. An incident that makes my blood boil, and I want to warn against this place for anyone who might happen to be in the area,” wrote the father of one of the girls on social media.

“We wanted to go kayaking. We were dressed lightly in the July heat. After all, we are fourteen years old, well-mannered children. We arrived, parked the car, and when we wanted to get out, a young man who seemed to be in charge of directing traffic came to us and asked: ‘Do you have more covering clothing? We want to respect the ultra-Orthodox public.’ There were plenty of ultra-Orthodox people there, because it is the ‘Bein HaZmanim’ period, but there were also secular people. I told him they were promoting chauvinism; it is an illegitimate request in the July heat to dress in three layers. We were dressed in shorts and an oversized shirt, which is comfortable for trips,” one of the girls told Walla.

According to the family, no sign was placed at the entrance clarifying that it was a day intended for the ultra-Orthodox public or that there was a special dress code requirement.

“A business operating in the public space”

However, the case raises legal questions. The Prohibition of Discrimination in Products, Services, and Entry to Public Places Law states that a business providing a service to the general public is not allowed to discriminate against customers or condition the receipt of service on terms not directly related to the nature of the activity.

MK Rabbi Gilad Kariv (The Democrats) strongly criticizes the case: “This is an outrageous and clearly illegal demand presented by the business. The young women have a full right to financial compensation in accordance with the laws that prohibit discrimination. The scandal is sevenfold greater when it comes to a business operating in a public space that belongs to the entire Israeli public.”

Indi Park responded: “Today was a day for the ultra-Orthodox public. By the very definition of the day, we ask that people arrive in modest clothing and without swimsuits. These dates have been on our website for a very long time. We do not ask anyone to cover up, and to each their own faith. When the family arrived, the guard explained to them that it is a day adapted for the ultra-Orthodox.”